Tobacco in cigarettes comprises a wide variety of particle sizes, including a significant proportion of tiny tobacco particles, which do not contribute in any way to the firmness of the cigarette, although they do make smoke, tar and nicotine. The amount of such small particles may be as high as 5 to 10 percent of the tobacco in the cigarette.
These small particles arise as a result of degradation of the tobacco during processing of the tobacco by repeated opening of tobacco and the use of refusing drums, combs and pickers and similar steps that mechanically abrade the tobacco.
In addition, cigarette filler varies from country to country, factory to factory and from blend to blend in a given factory. With all traditional cigarette making machines, all portions of the blend are subjected to the same opening action, whether needed or not. This leads to unnecessary degradation of the tobacco.